Michelle Major makes people laugh for a living. They laugh so hard, tears roll down their face, they howl and hoot and double over exhausted and happy.

The former finance executive offers people a path to joy, a route into inner happiness without the help of alcohol or drugs, one-liners or slap-stick.

But she’s not a comedian and she doesn’t tell jokes.

Michelle is a laughter and happiness therapist and the first Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher in Northern Ireland.

And nearly four years after setting up her own foundation, the Sunshine Project, she is now inundated with request for places on the course from big businesses and individuals hoping for some enlightenment.

Michelle, 36, from Newry, Co Down , believes her approach helps people deal with problems such as depression, pain, debilitating immunity issues and many more health problems.

She said: “Research has shown that around 15 minutes of laughter can produce enough pain relief in the body to last about two hours or give the benefit of two hours sleep.

Michelle’s alternative therapy is creating a real buzz across the country with people seeking out her advice and help.

She said: “There’s truth in the old adage that laughter is the best medicine. It is not a cure-all, but there is a lot of research to show that bouts of laughter have an almost immediate and very positive impact not only on the mood and the mind, but also on the body.

“Children have it just right, they tend to laugh about 400 times a day, but adults on average laugh about 10 times a day and we really could do with a lot more.”

And Michelle says her therapy works from the start because the human body cannot tell the difference between fake laughter and genuine giggles, meaning he effect is the same.

She explained: “Strangers meeting for the first time in a class maybe a little nervous so I ask them simply to pretend to laugh, to fake it and within minutes the session is filled with real laughter.

“I believe that humans have a need to laugh and a desire to be happy and laughter, forced and genuine, is one way of getting there. I practise what’s called laughter yoga, it allows us to combine laughter with deep breathing and it helps the body in many ways.”

Michelle admits she was sceptical about the laughter medicine herself – until she tried it.

Five years ago the former high flying finance executive found her life barrelling towards what she thought was disaster with the breakdown of her marriage, pressures at work and redundancy.

She said: “I was miserable. After nine years together and five of them married, my husband and I decided we couldn’t carry on and we split up and divorced.

“I was working in the mortgage industry at the time and had to lay off my team of nine wonderful colleagues over a period of five months. It was horrendous.

“And then I had to face the issue personally too. Even though I knew it was coming, I was gutted when I was then made redundant myself.

“It seems like an other lifetime looking back at that part of my life. I remember the feelings of misery, helplessness, uncertainty. Everything seems so negative and I wasn’t sure what to do or how to do it.

“I started dipping in and out of self-help support just to get through and one night after a friend persuaded me to go to a class and it was there that I discovered the simplicity of laughter. It was a life a major changer for me and I have helped it do the same for many others.

“At the time though, I was sceptical. But I was in a horrible pace and I thought it certainly couldn’t do any harm. I knew I needed to stop fixating on my problems and I wondered if this class would give me a short time of freedom from those gloomy thoughts. So I signed up and agreed to go along.

“It turned out to be a major turning point in my life. For that one hour, I forgot about all the problems and negative thoughts I was struggling with. And when we finished I felt different, lighter somehow, happier.

“Now I know I was experiencing a natural high. During the class all I could do was think about breathing and laughing and not one other thought managed to squeeze in. It was a relief to know I could escape from what was worrying me.

“The class didn’t make my problems disappear but it gave me a break from them and it felt so good I decided to carry on with the classes.

“Soon I was sleeping better, my appetite returned, I could focus and concentrate and finally I could deal with my life again which allowed me to make some plans because at last I could feel some hope.

“And that all came from the laughter yoga class which gave me a tool to help me deal with stresses in my life.”

Michelle admits people often feel a little shy when they are first asked to start laughing at nothing, but soon the real laughter takes over and the benefits become obvious.

She said: “We all know if feels good to laugh and now research has proven the impact of laughter on the chemical makes-up of our body and our hormones is incredible. Research shows that laughter triggers a chemical reaction in our body that helps ease pain and relieves physical, emotional and mental stresses.

“The deep breathing we practice brings increased levels of oxygen into the body and the brain and almost immediately we tend to feel better and more energised.

“In our groups we use eye contact so even when we fake it to start with, the laughter naturally becomes contagious and then spirals into the real thing. The body cannot distinguish between real and fake laughter anyway but it always ends up real.

“Research also shows laughter improves cardiovascular health, strengthens the immune system and helps lift depression, stimulating the parts of our brain that use the feel-good chemical dopamine.

“Other studies have shown, and many of my clients have told me themselves, that it is a great help in reducing physical pain and helping people establish healthy sleep patterns.

“And while it’s doing all that, it also just feels wonderful, boosting self-confidence feelings of happiness, self-esteem and incredibly, if you laugh vigorously enough it can even burn calories.

“Laughter is free. We laugh hundreds of times a day as children but somehow in adulthood we sort of un-learn how to be that care-free because we’re bombarded by so many day-to-day pressures. As a result we tend to laugh much less or sometimes not at all. Laughter is not a cure and it cannot substitute medical intervention but it is very powerful and incredibly healing.”

After 13 years in the finance industry, Michelle is now making a living running The Sunshine Project with other therapists.

And a number of local GPs are evening opening up to the idea of her laughter therapy, directing patients who need solutions for stress that do not involved prescription medication.

Michelle said: “There’s enough research and enough anecdotal evidence to show that laughter yoga is highly effective. Many in the medical profession may scoff but many of their colleagues are deeply involved and very supportive.

“It’s all about balance, realising that it’s OK to have off days but to learn how to refocus on the positive, starting with saying: ‘I want to be happy’.

“Living in fear holds us all back and it’s important to try to find some peace. Laughter yoga gave me the energy and the space to cleanse my life and start again and that’s what I’m helping other people do now. It feels wonderful and we are finding the results amazing.

“Sadly I had to hit rock bottom before I found a way to build a better life but it’s not necessary now because we have the tools right here in Northern Ireland to help people control and empower their lives. Yes, change is scary especially if it’s forced on us. I reacted gradually to my sudden and very unwelcome changes by dabbling in self-help and then committing to the main area I found most stimulating.”

Michelle’s Sunshine Project is now being used in schools across Northern Ireland, helping parents, teachers and children learn how to play creatively.

She said: “Computers are wonderful but they have helped create a disconnect in a lot of homes where no one really communicates. The TV is on, DVDs are on, video games and mobile phones. The chat and fun has left us and I plan to help us get it back and improve the emotional well-being of this country.

“The groups will use laughter and happiness practices to give adults and children tools to manage stress in their lives, manage emotional and promote confidence, self-esteem and a peaceful and calm approach to life. It’s all do-able. Northern Ireland can be a happier place but it’s not going to happen by chance so I’m giving it a boost everywhere I can.”